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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25816006">Comfort and Cuddles - Jaemin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/minbinzin/pseuds/minbinzin'>minbinzin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Comfort and Cuddles Series [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And They Comfort Jaemin, His Manager Is A Dick, Hurt/Comfort, Jaemin Has A Bad Day (Or Three), Light Angst, M/M, Minor Injuries, Mistreatment At Work, NoRen Don't Appear As Much As I'd Like, Polyamory, but they are there, kind of</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:21:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,087</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25816006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/minbinzin/pseuds/minbinzin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaemin’s not sure how he feels about their lack of perception to his problem. On one hand, he desperately wants to hide his pain from them as long as he can. On another hand, he kind of wishes they’d notice and comfort him. He kind of wants to cry in their arms—or maybe cry in general, but his eyes remain dry. </p><p>Every rational part of Jaemin’s brain begs him to tell his boyfriends about what’s going on at work. He wants them to baby him—to take care of him and nurse him back to health.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Comfort and Cuddles Series [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1276442</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>150</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Comfort and Cuddles - Jaemin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jaemin sighs as he checks his phone yet again. Class has felt extra long today, and the fact that neither his mother nor his boyfriends had yet contacted him made it drag on even longer. The tightness in his chest doesn’t seem to quell throughout the next lecture he attends. </p><p>He bites his lip, thinking about how much he misses his mother. His heart aches. He’s never lived so far from her before and not being able to see her often is killing him inside. He pulls himself out of the thought of hugging her as his professor walks in. Of course this is the day Jaemin forgot there was going to be a test. </p><p>-</p><p>“You’re late!”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Jaemin says, throwing his backpack into the break room hurriedly. “I missed my bus.”</p><p>“Get in the back, Na. You’re working stock today.”</p><p>“Me?” Jaemin asks.</p><p>“Yes, you! Now go!”</p><p>Jaemin frowns. </p><p>“But Mister Jung, I’m not supposed to work stock. You can ask Mister Choi—”</p><p>“Stock, Jaemin! Don’t make me ask again!”</p><p>“But sir, it’s doctor’s—”</p><p>“NOW before I take away your hours for the next week!”</p><p>Jaemin closes his mouth, heart beating through his chest. He can’t risk not being able to afford his portion of rent. It wouldn’t be fair to Jeno and Renjun to make them pull his weight. </p><p>“Sir—” he tries desperately, his stomach churning with the thought of having to do heavy lifting so soon. </p><p>His heart drops to his toes as Mister Jung raises an eyebrow, stepping toward the work schedule. </p><p>“I’d be glad to!” he amends, smiling and bowing before running to the back room.</p><p>The piles of boxes are daunting, and he feels a phantom twinge in his back already. His hands shake nervously as he thinks about the strain stocking is going to put on his back. His doctor said no heavy lifting for the next 4 months. Jaemin knows he’s going to feel the pain of his stupid decision for a long time to come. But if he can’t help pay rent, it’ll put a strain on his home life and relationship. He knows it’s going to fuck him up and yet here Jaemin was, sighing, shakily grabbing a box, and getting to work. </p><p>The first few boxes are okay. The excessive bending and lifting is uncomfortable, but he powers through it. He needs this paycheck. After the first hour, he feels it. The tingling sets in. His feet are going numb. The muscles in his back protest as he picks up the next box. He sweats, his body screaming at him to stop but he powers through. If he doesn’t work for a week, he might be out of a job. </p><p>-</p><p>He’s barely able to walk out of work. His legs feel like they’re made of concrete, and his back is aching. On the bus ride home, there are no free seats. So he stands, trying to hold back the pained tears as he reaches his apartment. </p><p>“How was work today?” Jeno asks as Jaemin walks in.</p><p>“We have a new manager.” </p><p>Jaemin tucks his chin on Renjun’s shoulder, watching him prepare dinner. He hopes he can stay like this until dinner is done. If he tries to walk, he’s sure they’ll notice his limp.</p><p>“Where’s Mister Choi? I thought he was the manager?” Renjun asks.</p><p>“He had to leave on business,” Jaemin replies. “It’ll probably only be a few days.”</p><p>If he’s leaning too heavily on Renjun, his boyfriend decides not to comment on it. When Jeno comes up, hugging his waist and nuzzling into Jaemin’s neck he has to stop the pained noise threatening to escape. He clutches tighter to Renjun, pressing his face into the soft cotton of Renjun’s sweater. </p><p>“You’re going to suffocate me,” Renjun complains.</p><p>Jaemin quickly loosens his arms from Renjun’s neck. He’d move away if he could feel his legs. </p><p>“Jaem, could you set the table, baby?” Jeno asks. </p><p>The anxiety shoots through him, mingling with the pins and needles feeling his back and legs are producing. He chances a step back. So far so good. His back gives a large twinge that has him wanting to fall to his knees with the second step; he powers through. </p><p>Luckily, the cabinets aren’t far from where the spot he was nuzzling into Renjun. Reaching up to grab the plates is blissfully easy—his lead filled legs thank his height for the convenience. A glance at his boyfriends shows that Jeno is caught up in talking to Renjun. Jaemin freely limps over to the table, placing a set of plates and chopsticks in their usual spots. Neither of his boyfriends notice. Jaemin is sickly thankful. <br/>Before they can turn around, Jaemin gingerly lowers himself into his chair. His lower back aches and his legs feel like they’re about to fall off. </p><p>“Long day?” Jeno asks, catching Jaemin’s eye. </p><p>“The new manger likes to yell to get his point across,” Jaemin says, painting his signature 1000 watt smile on. </p><p>Jeno hums in sympathy. </p><p>“Tiring?” </p><p>“Just annoying,” Jaemin smiles. </p><p>Jeno kisses him softly. </p><p>“I hope he’s not such a hardass tomorrow,” Jeno says. </p><p>His boyfriends bring dinner to the table and Jeno—ever the saint—takes Jaemin’s dish duty for the night. If they notice how Jaemin refuses to rise from his chair, they say nothing. He takes advantage of their backs being turned to hobble to the couch. </p><p>“Let’s watch dramas tonight,” Jaemin whines. </p><p>Renjun sitting on his lap nearly rips a pained noise out of him. Jaemin quickly turns it into a playful whinge.</p><p>“Renjunnie, isn’t Jeno such a mean boyfriend? He didn’t even bring us any popcorn for our drama viewing.” </p><p>Jeno rolls his eyes while Renjun and Jaemin snicker with each other as he stands. Crisis averted. </p><p>Jaemin shuffles minutely during the drama until he’s depositing Renjun onto Jeno’s lap instead and his legs tingle to life without the added weight of his boyfriend. The ache soothes itself from the flare it was when he got home during his time lounging on the couch. Jaemin falls asleep and wakes up in their shared bed between Jeno and Renjun sometime later. </p><p>Jaemin’s not sure how he feels about their lack of perception to his problem. On one hand, he desperately wants to hide his pain from them as long as he can. On another hand, he kind of wishes they’d notice and comfort him. He kind of wants to cry in their arms—or maybe cry in general, but his eyes remain dry. <br/>He spends half the night staring at the ceiling willing his pain away. It’s become a small, persistent vibration in his lower back. The sleep he falls into is fitful and uncomfortable—body protesting if he moves even the slightest bit. </p><p>Morning comes far too quickly. He’s out the door and to his 8 AM before either of his boyfriends have risen from their shared bed. His backpack is unzipped and a packet of stray papers topple out of it to stick to the wet concrete—courtesy of the light rain Jaemin found himself trekking through. His study guide rips when he tries to shove it hurriedly into his bag. Jaemin can tell the day won’t be much better than yesterday. </p><p>-</p><p>He’s 100% correct. His teacher piles a group project on him. Half of his group doesn’t show up to class that morning. He trips over his shoelace and repeats the earlier paper debacle—this time with wet knees and the fabric of his jeans ripping slightly. </p><p>The coffee he splurges on stays intact by some miracle. It does, however, drip from the poorly secured lid and stains his shirt. His day is almost comically bad in every little way—complete with the increasing pain of his lower back and legs. The knee scrapes burn, only adding fuel to the fire. </p><p>-</p><p>“Na! You’re on stock!”</p><p>Jaemin opens his mouth to protest. </p><p>“I can still cut your hours, young man. Don’t argue. You signed up for this job. Now do it!”</p><p>Jaemin wants to scream and tell Mr. Jung that he signed up to make coffee and clean the cafe, but he bites it back. Screaming won’t do anything but cost him his job. </p><p>“Yes, sir,” he murmurs. </p><p>He wants to slap the smarmy smile off Mr. Jung’s face. </p><p>-</p><p>This day is harder than the previous day. His back is complaining in pain the second he picks up the box full of the equipment they needed to replace. Part of his mind is warning him to put the box the hell down unless he wants to end up collapsed on the floor. He doesn’t put the box down. </p><p>Pain shoots through his knees but he hardly feels it over his leaden legs and aching back. He’s not sure how he wound up on the floor like this. Jaemin’s simply grateful that his descent to the floor is silent—nobody’s heard him fall from the cafe’s lobby. </p><p>“Hey, dude. Do you need some help?” Johnny asks, coming into the back room for an overtly large bag of flour. </p><p>Jaemin swallows his pride and his pain. </p><p>“Lost my balance. I’m good!” </p><p>Johnny believes him—Jaemin can’t decide if that’s a good thing. </p><p>-</p><p>“You’re walking slow,” is the first thing Renjun says when Jaemin enters the apartment they share. </p><p>“Skinned my knees this morning,” Jaemin shrugs. “Just a little bothersome.” </p><p>Renjun hums. </p><p>“Jeno asked us to meet him at the park. Says it’s a surprise.” </p><p>Jaemin wants to weep.</p><p>“Let me change my muddy jeans?” </p><p>“Of course,” Renjun says. </p><p>-</p><p>The date Jeno’s set up—a picnic in a gazebo—is pretty and casually romantic. Normally, Jaemin loves such gestures. They sit on a blanket spread over hardwood, though, and Jaemin can feel the beginnings of numbness sinking into his spine and upper legs. </p><p>He’s barely able to hobble up and to their apartment once the picnic is over. Jaemin claims he’s tired and turns in to bed early. In reality, he lays awake and wonders if he can go another day like this. His back injury is irritated beyond belief and he fears that if he does another day of stock, he’ll have to restart his entire recovery. </p><p>The pain is almost enough to make him burst into a fit of tears—the homesickness he feels and the emotional exhaustion create a poisonous cocktail in his veins. He misses his mother, who he hasn’t seen in 6 months. He misses her gentle hugs and her home cooked meals. Jaemin misses the scent of her. Misses burying his nose in her hair and inhaling. He misses feeling safe in her embrace. Perhaps if she were here, he’d feel brave enough to stand up for himself and to tell someone how he’s feeling. </p><p>He feels suffocated. Every rational part of Jaemin’s brain begs him to tell his boyfriends about what’s going on at work. He wants them to baby him—to take care of him and nurse him back to health. Admitting this is a real problem is pathetic. It all boils down to this: Jaemin’s too spineless to say no to his temporary manager. He’s feeling the retribution—his body feels like someone’s ripped the spine straight out of him. Still, he considers saying something to Renjun and Jeno. </p><p>Jaemin chooses to bottle it up.</p><p>-</p><p>“NA! You’re slacking! Pick up the pace, boy!” </p><p>Jaemin can’t help the shuddered breath that wracks his body. </p><p>“Sir, I can’t—” </p><p>“You can and you will! What is with young people complaining about having to work these days? You’re lucky to have this job, boy. I could replace you in a second with someone who actually wants to put the work in.” </p><p>“Mister Jung, please—” </p><p>Mister Jung’s face turns a magnificent shade of red. Jaemin lifts another box, then another and another and another, all under the glare of Mister Jung. The elder makes no comment on his pace or his poor form. </p><p>“You know what, Na? Go ahead and clock out for me. See you Wednesday.” </p><p>“Sir, please! I can keep going!” </p><p>Jaemin’s a dumbass why is he insisting on doing more work and damaging his back even more? It’s Friday. He can’t skip 4 days of work. </p><p>“Too slow, Na. Can’t have you hindering my staff.” </p><p>“I can do it! I swear!” </p><p>“Leave, Na. Or you won’t work next week.” </p><p>Jaemin clocks out. </p><p>He hasn’t lost his job, but the embarrassment of the scolding and being forced to quit the workday has his anxieties brewing full force. A glance at his phone shows he has a missed call from his mother. She doesn’t pick up after he frantically calls her back. </p><p>Jaemin calls Renjun and Jeno instead; he tells them he won’t be home for a while. He’s studying at the campus library, he claims, for an exam in a few days. They believe him and wish him luck. He denies their offers to bring him dinner or snacks. </p><p>“You look gloomy,” Chenle comments. </p><p>Jaemin glances up from the table in the library. </p><p>“Tired,” he shrugs. </p><p>The smile paints itself on easily. </p><p>“If you say so,” Chenle says. </p><p>Jaemin wishes he’d ask, because it’s not a total lie. Jaemin’s soul is feeling tired and worn out. He hurts physically and emotionally. But Chenle leaves him be. </p><p>-</p><p>Jaemin calls again to tell Renjun and Jeno not to wait up for him that night. He goes to a reading cafe after the library closes, but he curls up in one of the little private cubbies with no book or comic in sight. He ignores the game consoles and the small counter in the front that sells his favorite late night snacks. </p><p>Jaemin zones out for hours, mind lost to the pain and his homesickness. He learns his homesickness extends to his boyfriends, now, too. All he wants to do is curl up in their arms, yet he stays because he’s not quite sure he can stand up at this point. His legs went numb a few minutes after Mister Jung yelled at him. <br/>He thinks about how he’s going to explain to his boyfriends that he won’t be working for the next 4 days. Will he be able to help pay his portion of the rent? Would Renjun and Jeno question why he returned home so late? Did they notice the pained expression he was keeping hidden? His back injury didn’t heal for a year, so why is he taking the pain so hard this time around? </p><p>Jaemin comes to the conclusion that he’s weak. He can’t even say no to his boss. </p><p>-</p><p>The reading cafe closes and the staff send him on his way at midnight. Jaemin catches a bus and finally makes his way home 6 hours after leaving his job. Despite the late hour, the seats are full and he stands the entire ride. </p><p>-</p><p>Jeno and Renjun are fast asleep when Jaemin quietly pads into their apartment. He kicks his shoes off at the door. Neither of them stir when he climbs into the bed to lay between them—most likely a result of how slowly he moved. </p><p>Laying with each boyfriend on his side, Jaemin should be comforted by their presence. Yet they feel so far away, so distant, from him, though he’s not quite sure why. The loneliness seeps into his bones. His legs are still numb and his lower back is throbbing in relentless waves of pain. Jaemin thinks about how he could’ve simply spoken up against Mister Jung. Hell, Jaemin could’ve spoken up to his boyfriends or his mother. They would’ve come to his defense and prevented his aggravated injury. </p><p>His injury. He’d probably lost a lot of progress in his injury recovery. And after the realization, the tears well up and a sob bubbles in his throat. Another sob rips through his chest and Jaemin’s too lost in his own head to think about how loud he’s being.</p><p>“Jaem?” a sleepy mumble arises. </p><p>The tenderness of the voice only exacerbates his distress.</p><p>“Hey! What’s the matter, sweetheart?” </p><p>“Jaemin?” </p><p>Great, Jaemin thinks, I’ve woken them up.</p><p>“Baby, why are you crying?” Jeno asks, alarmed yet still so gentle. </p><p>Jaemin babbles a bunch of nonsense through his tears that he doesn’t understand himself. Renjun and Jeno take him into their arms anyway, sandwiching him between them in a hug. Kisses are pressed into his hair and hands are rubbing his arms and caressing his cheeks. It takes quite a while for the tears to slow and for Jaemin to stop sobbing into Renjun’s chest. He doesn’t feel any less heavy after the episode. </p><p>“Jaem? Something’s wrong, do you mind telling us what it is?” Renjun asks. </p><p>The tears surge back immediately. </p><p>“It’s stupid,” he whimpers. </p><p>“None of your problems are stupid. Especially when they make you cry like that,” Jeno says. </p><p>“I’m stupid,” Jaemin amends. </p><p>“No you aren’t,” Renjun replies sternly. </p><p>“I—I am! I can’t say no!” </p><p>“What do you mean?” </p><p>Jaemin ends up spilling the entire story about his boss forcing him to work a section of the store that isn’t in Jaemin’s job description. He tells them about his homesickness and being sent home from work early. He even tells them the little things—his coffee stains, his bad test day, scraping his knees on the sidewalk. </p><p>“Baby...we can tell that’s not all,” Jeno prompts. </p><p>“You can tell us anything. You know that, right?” </p><p>“He—he made me work stock—” </p><p>“He what?!?” they chorus. </p><p>“He threatened to cut my hours, I couldn’t say no! It was a whole week!” Jaemin weeps. </p><p>Jeno’s grip tightens. It hurts Jaemin’s back, but he stays silent. </p><p> </p><p>“You’ve been sitting down a lot the last few days,” Jeno says. </p><p>“Jaemin…”</p><p>His heart stills in his chest. </p><p>“How bad is it?” </p><p>He knows better than to interpret it as a question. </p><p>“I can’t walk? My legs are numb. It hurts so bad, it’s all I can think about.” </p><p>“Baby…”</p><p>The tenderness breaks the dam again. He sobs and sobs until he feels dehydrated. Renjun and Jeno hold him all the while, soothing away the vast amount of emotional pain Jaemin’s been gathering for the last few days. </p><p>He finally feels lighter after the outburst. </p><p>-</p><p>Renjun and Jeno spend the next 4 days heavily monitoring him and making sure Jaemin stays on bed rest. Jaemin’s not sure which of them said anything, but Johnny texts him a few days later that Mister Jung got fired. Jaemin doesn’t feel any sense of validation from it.</p>
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